gluten free cooking

Swiss Chard Tacos

Tomorrow isn’t Tuesday and meatless meals don’t thrill me like those made with serious proteins, favorites like salmon, poultry, lamb or pork.  That said, I have a few delightful vegetarian items I make on occasion.  This recipe is at the top of my roster, these Swiss chard tacos. My sister made these once while I was up visiting her.  I was skeptical but found them to be really delicious and a great way to use up a lot of the Swiss chard growing profusely in my gardens!  No meat but you won’t miss it in these flavorful and filling tacos.

I sometimes use Mexican cheese but you can also use Monterey Jack as that is what the original recipe called for and what I currently prefer.  The recipe is out of an old Home and Garden magazine. I made a few changes….added some ground cumin for extra spice. Don’t forget the red wine vinegar, really a great finishing touch.

The white corn tortillas in these pictures (La Bandarita brand) came from Wegmans; they have one up near Boston.  There are three Wegman’s here near me. I got some light corn tortillas today at my local Giant; they work well. Enjoy!

chard taco

Sorry for the messy picture. I guess I should make a prettier taco!

Karen’s Swiss Chard Tacos

1 lb Swiss chard

½ tsp. cumin seeds

¼ tsp. ground cumin

½ a red onion, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 clove garlic minced

1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

1 can of black beans, rinsed and well drained

8 tortillas; corn flour

1 cup of Monterey jack cheese or Queso Fresca cheese; grated

1/3 cup sour cream, reduced fat is my preference

cilantro for garnish if desired

Directions:

Chop up the chard stems into half inch dice.  Rough chop the rest of the chard and set aside. Heat a large frying pan and add the cumin seeds; cook 1-2 minutes until fragrant.  Add olive oil then chard stems.  Cook 3 minutes until softening.  Add the chard leaves that you have rough chopped, ground cumin, onion, garlic and red pepper.  Cook 3 min, stirring.  Add the red wine vinegar and the black beans.  Stir well, cook 3-4 minutes longer. The greens should be wilted but they don’t need to be fully cooked down.

Meanwhile while the filling cooks; heat oven to 350 degrees.  Lay tortillas out on baking sheets.  Sprinkle grated cheese in the center of each.  Bake 4-5 minutes until cheese starts melting and tortilla is somewhat crisp. Remove from oven.  Place a generous amount of chard mixture on each tortilla.  Top with a spoonful of sour cream.  Sprinkle cilantro over top if desired.  I am not a fan but you might be…

Chicken Pot Pie

If you have any leftover chicken from a roast or rotisserie bird this is an excellent way to use it up. You will need two cups of chicken to make this delectable entrée: chicken pot pie.  My version tracks pretty close to that you can find in a 1970’s Betty Crocker Cookbook.  Gluten free though…because I must! You can toss it together in about 30 minutes and it bakes in 35 more. Your tummy will thank me. I put some celery seeds in the pie crust for extra flavor.  I generally make it with just a top crust which is less calories. If you want the full deal; double the crust ingredients and make a bottom crust too. Your creation will be a delicious and substantial meal for sure! This crust bakes up flaky and delicate; perfection for a pot pie.

Notes: you can use light or dark meat or combo. I used baby carrots this time; cut them across into 4 little nibs; they were organic and had a delicious tender flavor.

Chicken Pot Pie

Crust:

1 c plus 2 Tbsp. brown rice flour mix (at bottom of recipe)

2 Tbsp. sweet rice flour

1 tbsp. sugar (You will never know it is in there; it makes the crust more flakey)

½ tsp xanthan gum

¼ tsp salt

6 Tbsp. cold butter cut into 12 small chunks

1 large egg

2 tsp fresh orange or lemon juice

Directions: Mix dry ingredients in bowl of stand electric mixer.  Add butter and mix until crumbly and resembling coarse meal.  Add egg and juice.  Mix until it comes together into big chunks.  Shape into a ball with your hands. Put it on a crust sized piece of wax paper (14 x 14 inches more or less), flatten the crust ball some; put on top of it another piece of wax paper and chill it all in your fridge 15-20 minutes.

Pie filling

1/3 cup butter: I used ¼ cup plus some canola oil to reach 1/3 cup

1/3 cup white rice flour (or another gf flour)

½ cup finely chopped onion

½ tsp. sea salt

¼ tsp. black pepper, freshly ground

1¾ cup good quality gluten free chicken broth

2/3 cup whole or two percent milk

2 cups diced cooked chicken

4 large carrots, diced or 16 plus baby carrots

¾ cup frozen peas (or a ten-ounce bag of frozen carrots and peas)

½ to 1 tsp. celery seeds (optional)

Heat butter/oil in large frying pan, add onion, cook 5-7 minutes until soft and translucent. While it cooks, cook the diced carrots for 4-5 minutes in a ¼ cup of water in a saucepan, lid on. Then turn off the heat, uncover it and throw in peas, set aside.

Heat the oven to 425 degrees.

Add flour, salt and pepper to the fry pan with the butter and onions, cook 2-3 minutes, stir often. Add broth (I held back about 2 tbsp. to make sure it wasn’t watery) and while it heats keep stirring. Add the milk when the mixture is hot but not boiling, stir well until it boils and then let it boil one minute, still stirring.  Add the chicken and then the drained carrots and peas, Stir well. Add rest of broth if needed.

Roll out the pie crust thick; just big enough to cover the top of your 9 inch pie pan [about 11 inches] (I always use a glass pan but I am pretty sure you can use a metal one). I like to roll it just 2/3 of the way out and then sprinkle with about ½ -1 tsp. celery seeds. Roll it the rest of the way and the seeds will be embedded in the crust. I like the subtle flavor they add, a touch of really old-fashioned tastiness my mom would approve of!

Pour the hot chicken mixture into the pie pan and top with the crust. Make sure no crust hangs down; trim to look nice. If you want to go super rich just double the crust recipe and roll half so you can put a bottom crust in before you pour in the filling. Top with your celery seed crust, seal to bottom crust (if you used one) and do cut a few gashes for venting… place pie on a pie drip catcher.  My pie pan is always very full, and that pie drip pan is wonderful for keeping the filling from dripping on my oven. You could use a cookie sheet or a sheet of aluminum foil to catch drips.

Bake 30-35 minutes until crust is light brown and the pie is bubbly.

Let the pie cool five to ten minutes before serving.

All you need is a salad, and you have a wonderful balanced meal. Enjoy!

Brown Rice Flour Mix  (same as King Arthur basic blend)
2 c brown rice flour

2/3 c potato starch

1/3 c tapioca flour

The crust is from Annalise Roberts’ great cookbook: Gluten-Free Baking Classics.

Turkey Posole Stew; Sort of Spicy and So Delish!

I am betting you have some roast turkey in the freezer, maybe a pint of gravy too?  Well, I have just the recipe for you, courtesy of Rachel Ray and foodnetwork.com.  It is nothing like most traditional turkey leftover recipes.  It is a slightly spicy Mexican stew; posole stew can easily be gluten free. Just use care choosing your chicken broth and your tortilla chips that accompany this savory soup. One of these years I will remember to buy an extra carton of gf turkey broth and use in instead of chicken broth; turkey broth disappears immediately after thanksgiving; a bit of a bummer….

I have been making it every fall after Thanksgiving and always look forward to a few bowls of it.  Spicy, crunchy, tangy; unlike any other soup I make.  Posole stew can be made with roasted pork and I have done so but I like it far better created with leftover roast turkey, especially the dark meat.  I have served this stew to many people, and it is always well received and enjoyed, even by my elderly mother.  I made a batch today and it was so delish! You can cut this recipe in half easily which I did this time; didn’t have enough turkey for a whole recipe and my fridge is pretty full anyway; my posole turned out great and I am thrilled to be enjoying it again. 

Notes:  I used most of a good-sized jalapeno pepper and one 15 ounce can of hominy in a half recipe. I used a cup of water for the beer and a carton of gf chicken broth. About 3-4 tablespoons of homemade turkey gravy this time: ate the rest on hot sandwiches. It was absolutely delish!

tomatillos

The more jalapeno pepper you add the hotter it will be. I have tried canned tomatillos, and they are not really a good substitute.  You can get them fresh (found near the fresh tomatoes) in many stores including Giant.  They are used in Hispanic and Mexican cooking and add a lot of flavor and tartness to the soup. I have heard that some folks use salsa Verde instead of tomatillos but it really isn’t hard to chop them up, so I recommend the real deal.

Hominy is a corn product; whole kernels soaked in lye to swell and soften.  The kernels have a mild corn flavor plus they soak up other flavors quickly and add a certain texture and body to the stew.

The wild turkey is native to North America and one turkey species is originally from Mexico.  So turkey is a natural component in this stew.  The Aztecs revered corn and liked to cook it with meat.  Tomatillos are native to Mexico, related to cape gooseberries.  They are used in salsa verde and other Mexican dishes. So this compilation of turkey, corn, tomatillos and lime is a natural combination that will be easy to make and fun to eat. Go on, be adventurous and enjoy a steaming hot bowl of delicious posole and use up that turkey in a totally different way!

Turkey Posole Stew

Ingredients

2 tbsp mild olive oil or canola oil

2 medium onions chopped

4 cloves garlic chopped fine

1-2 jalapeno peppers – seeded and chopped fine –use two if you like it spicy, I use one!

1 tbsp. ground cumin

1 cup GF beer (can use 1 cup water if you want but it gives more flavor)

Coarse salt and pepper

12-16 tomatillos; about 2 lbs, take off the paper cover, rinse and chop up.  Can coarsely chop in food processor

5-6 sprigs fresh thyme; chop it up off the stems.

2   15-ounce cans hominy

1.5 qt chicken stock (can be part gravy)

1 ½ to 2 lbs. chopped turkey meat; can be mixture of light and dark

1 lime juiced

Chopped cilantro leaves to garnish (optional)

Tortilla chips: the ones with lime go particularly well with this.

tomatillos

Cook first six ingredients about 5 min in a large stock pot.  Add beer or water, cook one minute.  Add chopped tomatillos and cook 5-6 minutes until softened.  Add hominy, thyme and stock and cook 15 minutes.  Add chopped turkey and lime juice, stir. Taste and add salt and pepper, stir well.  I never use cilantro; something I just don’t like, but feel free to add it as the original recipe uses a bunch of it.turkey posole soup

Then ladle the posole into bowls and serve lots of white tortilla chips to crunch over the top of the hot soup.  As the soup disappears from my bowl, I like to add more chips to keep the crunch going.

 

 

Butternut Squash, Pancetta and Chard Pasta

This colorful pasta dish is pretty healthy and very tasty. Not too tricky either. I have enjoyed it many times in the years. It makes 4 satisfying servings.

It showcases roasted cubes of butternut squash and tender melt-in-your-mouth Swiss chard. My amounts are somewhat approximate.  I used gf fettuccine noodles. Don’t overcook them! You could buy pre-peeled and cubed squash to save time. I used some I grew this fall and honestly it didn’t take long to peel and cube it. I suggest you roast the cubes from a whole squash and use as much as you think works for you. Valley Farms has great fresh Swiss chard; that’s where I get mine if I don’t grow it myself.  I have made this recipe with thick cut bacon, if that is what you have; go for it.  I got a package of chopped pancetta at Giant for a decent price. It will keep a few days in the fridge.

Butternut, Pancetta and Chard Pasta

Ingredients:

1 bunch Swiss chard, I like the red or white stemmed variety, rinsed off

3-4 tbsp. EVOL

1 cup or so of diced red onion; one decent sized one

1 lg garlic clove minced

1 medium butternut squash; peeled, seeded and cubed; at least a pound in weight

4 oz pancetta, diced

10-12 oz dried gf fettucine noodles.

Good quality Parmesan cheese to grate on plated entree

Directions:

Roast the squash; heat the oven to 400 degrees, spray a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray; spread the cubed squash, drizzle with 1-2 Tbsp of EVOL and ½ tsp. kosher or sea salt, bake at 400 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes; turn cubes every 20 minutes with a metal spatula to help them cook evenly, a bit of crunch is nice! Start the rest of the recipe as they approach doneness or bake the squash a day before if that works for you. Have done it both ways. Crunchier if made right before serving

Heat a large pot of salted water for the pasta while you make the chard.  Chop it into 1 inch lengths; set the chopped leaves aside separately from the lower stem bits. Heat the EVOL in a large frying pan or smallish wok. Add the stems and cook 2-3 minutes, add garlic, stir, add the onion; cook 3-5 minutes until softening. Add rest of chard in 2-3 handfuls letting it cook down for a minute before stirring and adding the next third. Then push the veggies up the sides or to the edges and add the pancetta. Push the veggies gently back around and over the pancetta. Cook 2-3 minutes until the pancetta is hot and the chard is soft.  Meanwhile you have cooked the pasta to al dente. Add it to the pan with the chard, stir, add the roasted squash cubes. Stir. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top; none of that pre-grated crappy cheese please! Enjoy!

swiss chard pasta plated

Not sure where I found this recipe, but it is a keeper; we generally enjoy it in the fall as chard and squash are fall harvest vegetables.

Butternut Squash, Pancetta and Kale Pasta Toss

This colorful pasta dish is pretty healthy and very tasty. It’s a version of a dish I make with Swiss chard. None of that around so I used fresh kale from my garden and some beet greens for that earthy note that is critical to the flavor. Not a difficult dish either. Have enjoyed the original many times in the past 8-10 years.

It showcases roasted cubes of butternut squash and tender kale as well as beet greens. My amounts are somewhat approximate. It will keep a couple days in the fridge. I used gf fettuccine noodles. Don’t overcook them! You could buy pre-peeled and cubed squash to save time. I used some I grew last fall and honestly it didn’t take long to peel and cube it. I suggest you roast the cubes from a whole squash and use as much as you think works for you.  I have made this recipe with thick cut bacon, if that is what you have; go for it.  I got a package of chopped pancetta at Aldi’s pretty cheaply and the flavor is awesome.

Butternut, Pancetta and Kale Pasta

Ingredients:

1 small- medium butternut squash; peeled, seeded and cubed; at least a pound

3-4 tbsp. EVOL

1 cup or so of diced red onion; one decent sized one

4 oz pancetta, diced

1 lg garlic clove minced

1 bunch tender young kale, rinsed off

A big handful of beet greens, preferably young tender ones

9-12 oz dried gf fettucine noodles.

Good quality Parmesan cheese to grate into the mixture and some on each plated entree

Directions:

Roast the squash; heat the oven to 400 degrees, spray a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray; spread the cubed squash, drizzle with 1-2 Tbsp of EVOL and ½ tsp. kosher or sea salt, bake at 400 degrees for 30 to 60 minutes; if they are chubby they might take all 60 minutes. Mine this time were fairly skinny so 30 minutes was perfect. Do turn cubes every 15 minutes with a metal spatula to help them cook evenly, a bit of crunch is nice! Start the rest of the recipe as they approach doneness, let them stay warm in the oven with heat off or bake the squash a day before if that works for you. Have done it all three ways. Crunchier if made right before serving.

Heat a large pot of salted water for the pasta while you make the kale.  Chop it into 1.5- 2 inch lengths; set the chopped leaves aside separately from the lower stem bits. Heat the EVOL in a large frying pan or smallish wok. Add the pancetta first, cook 2-3 minutes, add the red onion pieces, cook 3-5 minutes until softening. Add the garlic and cook a minute. Add the kale in 2-3 handfuls letting it cook down for a minute before stirring and adding the next third. Add the beet greens with the last third of kale. Cook 2-3 minutes until the beet greens are soft.  Meanwhile you have cooked the pasta to al dente. Add it to the pan with the pancetta and veggies, stir, add the roasted squash cubes. Stir gently. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top; none of that pre-grated crappy cheese please! Enjoy!

swiss chard pasta plated

Not sure where I found this recipe, but it is a keeper; we often enjoy it in the fall as chard and squash are typically fall harvest vegetables.

You could leave out the beet greens if you can’t find them.